Fans turn out for ‘Gordy’s Game’ and raise cash for stalwart’s return home

Published:21:08Wednesday 03 August 2016

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The result of the match was unusual, 2115 – that’s pounds raised, not a football score despite Swansea defeating Falkirk.

A close-range header settled last Thursday night’s friendly between the Welsh club’s under-23s and a Falkirk XI which included hot prospect Tony Gallacher and first-team wide-man Myles Hippolyte.

But the cliche of the scoreline being secondary in friendly matches was really true in this case as more than £2000 was raised from the gate towards the Gordon McFarlane fund.

Fans paid £5 entry to The Falkirk Stadium for the match and all cash was donated to the fundraising effort which is climbing towards the target to move the Bairns stalwart back home to his family, after 13 months spent in hospital following a severe stroke in July 2015.

‘Big G’ as he is known has played many roles for the Bairns behind the scenes, most recently as programme editor and media man, but this time the club played a supporting role for one of their best-known supporters and volunteers.

In the Swansea line-up was ex-Bairn Ryan Blair and striker Botti Biabi was named on the bench.

Lewis McMinn denied the ex-Bairns striker in the second half after a largely quiet first 45 minutes when the Bairns were slightly on top, but not by much.

New signing Liam Henderson almost scored with a freak cross that nearly sneaked in, while Hippolyte also tried his luck.

Just after the hour though Swansea scored what would be the game winner with Keston Davies heading in off the underside of the bar unmarked in the six-yard box.

The Bairns looked for a leveller but Scott Shepherd, another first-teamer in the young side, was denied by Mark Birighitt.